Washboard.



PATENTED JAN. 17, 1905.y S. yKENNELL.

' WASHBOARD. APPLIOATIQN FILED JULY s, 1904.

C. CHAPMAN & W.

@inventent/- UNITED STATES Patented January 17, 190s.

PATENT OEE-ICE.

CHRISTOPHER- ROWE CHAPMAN AND WILLIAM SHERMAN KENNELL, OE.

AMETHYST, COLORADO. f

WASHBOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 780,408, dated January17, 1905.

' Application filed July s, i904. seria No. 215,779.

Y automaticallyinto position for readily apply ing the necessary amountof soap to the materials being subjected to the cleansing process.

The invention consists in the novel construction of parts and theircombination in operative combination, as will be hereinafter fullyspecified and then the alleged novelty particularly and definitelypointed out in the claims.

We have fully and clearly illustrated our improvements in the annexeddrawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein-Figure 1 isla front plan view of the entire board, showing the openingin the upper plate of the board with the retaining-bars arranged acrossthe same. Fig. 2 is a rear or back view of the board, showing thesoap-receptacle as positioned therein and the lid of the receptacleturned back. Eig. 3 is a vertical central section through the board andthe soap-receptacle, indicating a piece of soap as being held in therequired position. A is a longitudinal vertical section through thesoap-receptacle, indicating the follower, which moves the soap intorubbing position, and the springs as applied between the cover of thebox and the follower.

In the drawings the same parts appearing in different figures are`designated by similar reference-notations, and reference being hadthereto, A designates a washboard of the usual construction, consistingof a suitable frame 1, a metal rubbing-surface 2, above which is a solidwooden plate 3, formed with an opening 1 to take in the soap, and theboard is Fig.

l, provided with a wooden back 5. All the parts of the board may be ofany suitable construction and our improvements be applied thereto, whichare applicable to any style of boards now on the market of the generalmake-up of that shown in the drawings.

6 designates wires secured across the opening 4, as shown in Fig. 1.These wires serve to keep the cake of soap in proper position whilebeing used, and being made with sharpened under edges, as indicated at7' in Eig. A, the soap is pressed upward against them, and thus thewires cut into the soap,V so that the rubbing-surface of the soap willalways project above them and present its surface in position to beapplied to the clothes.

To the rear face of the plate 3 is positioned a box-frame 8, made ofsome suitable noncorrodible sheet metal and of such dimensions as willsuit to the 'purposes intended of permitting the cake of soap to beinsertedl and to provide room for the convenient housing of themechanism. The box-frame is formed with base-flanges 9, through whichfastening screws or nails are projected to hold the box-frame inposition to the plate and with the inner walls in registration with thewalls of thel opening in the plate, substantially as seen in thedrawings. A follower l0 is fitted in the box-frame and provided with afinger-piece 11, whereby the follower may be withdrawn and replaced inthe box as occasion may require. This follower is adapted to set withits inner face against the soap cake and by the means provided push thecake into contact with the bars 6 and, as mentioned, keep therubbing-surface of the soap always in position for supplying the soap tothe wash material. To the upper edge of one side 'of the box is hinged acover 12, which is made up of a metal top 13, having a downwardlyextending flange 14 alongrits free front edge to lap down over the upperedge of the box side and having its ends turned down vertically and thenunder parallel with rthe cover, as seen at 15,

Ito form channels or ways in which the ends wooden plate are securedstaples or eyes 17,

wherein are mounted two torsional springs 18, and on the central bars ofthe spring are pivotally mounted the arms of yoles 19, having thespring-acting arms of the torsional springs secured to one of the sidearms of the yokes, as seen at 20, in such a manner as that the yokeswill be swung upward by the force of the springs, which force will becontinuously exerted. To the cross-bar of each yoke are slidablyconnected the ends of a lifting-bar 21. This bar 21 is made of somereasonably stiff wire and formed with loops 22, which loosely embracelthe cross-bars of the yokes, as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.The bar 21 may be somewhat arched or bent to ineline upward from theirconnections toward the middle and then have a straight middle portion,so that the bar will set over the springs and also bear with its middleportion against the follower. The lower or rear wall of the box-frame isprovided with a series of perforations 23, through which the drippingsfrom the soap escape, and to hold the cover or lid in place when thedevice is in use.a hook and staple 24 are properly placed to serve thepurpose.

The utilization of the device is apparent from the description taken inconnection with the drawings. All that is necessary to successfully useit is to place the cake of soap in position, then put the follower inplace, and then close down the cover and secure it.

It will readily be seen that the device is cleanly and economical inuse, that it will always automatically move the soap into the positionfor handy application of the wash material, and the washer will neverhave to hunt for missing soap, since it can neither be knocked off theboard onto the floor nor be lost in the suds. Then the soap becomesdepleted by use, a new cake can be placed behind it, and thus thediminished cake be entirely used up.

lVhat we claim is- 1. The combination of a washboard having asoap-opening in its upper portion, bars secured across the opening toprevent the soap from passing out of the opening, a box-frame secured tothe rear face of the washboard in registration with the soap-opening, afollower in the box, a cover hinged to the box-frame, yokes pivotallysecured to the cover, a bar slidabl y connecting the free ends of theyokes, springs to swing the yokes to lift the bar against the follower,and means to hold the cover closed.

2. The combination of a washboard having a soap-opening in its upperportion, bars secured across the opening to prevent the soap frompassing out of the opening, a box-frame secured to the rear face of thewashboard in registration with the soap-opening, a follower in the box,a cover hinged to the box-frame, a wooden plate detachably secured tothe inner face of the cover,torsional springs secured to the woodenplate, yokes pivotally supported on the torsional springs and swungthereby, a bar formed with loops at the ends to slidably engage over thecross-bars of the yokes and adapted to bear against the follower, andlocking means to hold the cover down on the box.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

CHRIS. ROWE CHAPMAN. WILLIAM SHERMAN KllNNlllill.

Vitnesses:

Trino. A. VVHnnLnR, C. A. VEBBER.

